A school has warned parents about the potential dangers of the popular online game Fortnite.

Manor High School in Oadby sent a letter to parents detailing what the game is about and how youngsters and their parents can become potential victims of phishing – a way of obtaining sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and money by disguising as a trustworthy entity.

The letter states that the game is among the most played in the world, but “there are a number of risks that need to be considered in order to ensure children and young people are effectively protected.”

Attached to the letter is a handy leaflet detailing what the game is about and how youngsters and their parents can become potential victims of phishing.

'We want to make sure they know the risks'

It was sent by Aaron Mehta, head of computer science and business at the school, as part of the school’s pro-active stance on e-safety.

Mr Mehta said: “We know that young people are playing these games and we want to make sure that not only do they know some of the risks but their parents do too.

“We have a group of parents who talk to us about exactly this sort of thing. They brought it up and it prompted us to put this information together.”

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What is Fortnite - Battle Royale?

Fortnite is available on both computers and mobile phones and tablets and is free to play.

The game sees 100 players dropped onto an island where they have to compete until one survivor remains - the winner.

'It's important we know how to look after ourselves on the web'

The school also has 10 “digital leaders” whose job it is to speak to their year groups and lead assemblies on e-safety, including phishing, how to protect yourself and others, as well as knowing what information might be dangerous to put out on social media platforms.

Daniel Karim, 13, is one of those leaders.

He says he plays Fortnite on his X-Box at home but is aware of the dangers partly because of the role he is in.

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Rosie said: “I play Fortnite but I know what risks there are and I look out for them.”

What parents need to know

Microtransactions

New featured items are released daily and are only available to purchase within 24 hours of their release.

Hacker attacks

News site Forbes said it had seen “dozens of reports online by people who said their accounts had been compromised by hackers. Hackers gained access to users accounts in the game and spent hundreds of thousands in fraudulent charges.

Beware of children being exposed to inappropriate language from others using the game.

Social media scams

Many accounts claim to give away free money for games which will be transferred to their Xbox Live or PSN cards. It is important to check the authenticity of these accounts before giving away personal information. If these offers are too good to be true they usually are.

Tips for parents include

Fortnite

Restricting payment methods. If you do not want your child to make payments, ensure your card is not associated with their account. If you are happy for your child to make payments in the game, but want to limit spending, use a paysafecard which can be purchased in a specific amount.

If your child believes a player is talking inappropriately, they should report this through the in-game feedback tool located in the main menu of the game.

Use a strong password

It’s important your child selects a strong password when creating an account - this helps reduce the risk of the account being hacked.

Prevent them talking to strangers

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There is an option to turn off the voice chat feature, which means they wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone, including their friends. Your child will still be able to use the in-app chat and hear other people’s conversations.

To turn off voice chat, open the settings menu in the top right of the main Fortnite page, then click on the cog icon. Open the audio tab at the top of the screen. From there you can turn off voice chat.